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Festus Keyamo Reveals ‘Update’ On Atiku’s United States Status

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Keyamo Insists That Atiku Has Charges To Face In The United State

The Director, Strategic Communications, President Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), has revealed that the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, may soon be given a United States visa.

According to a statement by Keyamo, Atiku will be given his US Visa on the grounds that he is a candidate for the Presidency.

While reacting to allegations levelled against his principal by Atiku’s campaign team, Keyamo noted that the US Congress in a report titled, ‘Keeping foreign corruption out of the US’, featured Atiku as one of the four notorious cases of money laundering in the world!

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The senior advocate however said that, “Atiku’s co-conspirators, Williams Jefferson and Siemens in the bribery deal were convicted and Jefferson went to jail. By running for President of Nigeria, Atiku intends to get some immunity from prosecution.

“Already he is hoping to obtain a visa to visit the US, as a guest of the State Department, a concession that the US will grant to a Presidential candidate of Africa’s biggest nation.”

He said the congress report noted that Jennifer Douglas Abubakar, a US citizen, who is the fourth wife of Atiku, from 2000 to 2008, helped her husband bring over $40m in suspect funds into the US including at least $1.7m in bribe payments from Siemens AG, a German corporation, and over $38m from little known offshore corporations.

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Keyamo disclosed that rather than answer to the allegations, Atiku a few days ago, called President Muhammadu Buhari over certain allegations of “corrupt practices” which the President allegedly condones in his government.

The senior advocate said the US Department of Justice’s claim that Atiku was not under investigation did not exonerate the former Vice-President.

He added, “How do we as a nation end up with anyone with this sordid record locally and internationally? We have heard the lame defence that the US Justice Department said it has no pending case against Atiku Abubakar. That is only a defence for the ignorant ones.

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“In the US, there are indictments the Justice Department can confirm to the world. But there is another category of indictments known as sealed indictments that the Justice Department cannot confirm to anyone. These indictments are sealed under the orders of a Judge.

“Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has a sealed indictment waiting for him in the US. The day he visits the US, not as a candidate in an election, he will face charges.”

Naija News reports that there has been a series of word exchange between critics of Atiku and particularly, APC following the alleged travel ban on the PDP Presidential Candidate.

Meanwhile a mail sent in by the US Department of Justice has denied having any record that indicates that Nigeria’s former Vice President has a pending lawsuit in the US, Naija News reports.